Read the attached Trader Joe's case and answering the following questions:

a) What do you find successful about Trader Joe's management approach?

b) What do you find unique or interesting about Trader Joe's as a company?(Their strategy, vision, approach, background, hr, etc.)

Please answer clearly and with clear details

Cases for Critical Thinking People and Culture Trader Joe's aggressively courts friendly, customer-oriented employees by highlighting desired soft skills-such as "ambi- tious and adventurous, enjoy smiling and have a strong sense of values"-as much as actual retail experience. Employees earn more than their counterparts at other chain grocers. Store man- TRADER JOE'S agers, hired only from within the company, are well compensated. After all, they know the Trader Joe's culture and system inside and out. Future leaders enroll in training programs at Trader Joe's University. Private-Label House Brands Most Trader Joe's products are sold under a variant of their house brand-Italian food under the "Trader Giotto's" moniker, Mexican food under the "Trader Jose's" label, vitamins and health supple- ments under "Trader Darwin's," and Chinese food under the "Trader Ruaridh Stewart/Zuma Press Ming's" label. The house brand success is no accident. According to now-retired Trader Joe's President Doug Rauch, the company pur- CASE 1: Trader Joe's-Managing sued the strategy to "put our destiny in our own hands." You won't Less to Gain More find mass-marketed brands at Trader Joe's, but this helps keep costs low and may also increase its appeal to customers as a source of In a space one-fourth the size of its competitors, the average unique products. Trader Joe's stocks approximately 4,500 products-a mere 10% of TJ's follows a deliciously simple approach to stocking stores. those typically found in a supermarket. Affectionately nicknamed (1) Search out tasty, unusual foods across the globe; (2) contract "TJ's" by its loyal customers, the company stands for unique directly with manufacturers; (3) label each product under one of quality items. several catchy house brands or private labels; and (4) maintain a Take a walk down any Trader Joe's aisle and you'll see the fun- small stock, making each product fight for its place on the shelf. damentals of management at work-planning, organizing, leading, Most of TJ's research and development dollars are spent on travel and controlling. It's one reason TJ's has become more than just the by its top buyers or "product developers." They go on "product find- "average Joe" of food retailers. ing missions" to bring back the most unique products at the best value. There's another level of buyers, called category leaders, who Corner Store to Hundreds More manage hordes of vendors and food suppliers eager to land their In 1958, Joe Coulombe, an MBA from Stanford Business School, products on the shelves of Trader Joe's. started a "7-11 style" corner store in the Los Angeles area, which Economic Food Democracy soon grew into a chain. While Coulombe was on vacation in the Caribbean, the Trader Joe South Seas motif resonated with him, Ten to 15 new products debut each week at Trader Joe's-and particularly when he witnessed firsthand tourists proudly return- the company maintains a strict "one in, one out" policy so as to ing home from their travels with hard-to-find food delights. In 1967, not increase the total number of unique products it sells. Items he opened the first Trader Joe's store. Twelve years later, he sold the that sell poorly or whose costs go up get the heave-ho in favor of chain to the Albrecht family, billionaires and owners of discount new blood, something the company calls the "gangway factor." supermarket chain Aldi's, based in Germany. If the company hears that customers don't like a product, out it How did this retail grocer attract an obsessive and diverse cult goes. Still, discontinued items may be brought back if custom- of followers? Much has to do with its corporate culture, which ers are vocal enough, making Trader Joe's control function the includes everything from how the company meticulously plans model of an open crowd-sourcing system. "We feel really close store locations, manages employees, and crafts purchasing and to our customers," says Audrey Dumper, vice president of mar- keting for Trader Joe's East. "When we want to know what's on branding strategies .. . and more. their minds, we don't need to put them in a sterile room with a Upside-Down Pyramid swinging bulb. We like to think of Trader Joe's as an economic food democracy. Rather than being given orders, crew members-nonmanagerial employees-are coached. They are supported by "mates" who assist On to the Future the "captain" or store manager. The store culture is customer- Shares of Trader Joe's stock are owned by the Albrecht family focused, yet laid back. Knowledgeable, friendly, and enthusiastic and not sold to the public. The company stays hyper private and crew members make placement decisions solely on customer media-shy. It's very guarded about revealing producers of their wants and needs. Shoppers are led by cheerful guides to culinary store brands, and suppliers operate under a Trader Joe's "cloak discoveries such as lime and chili cashews, salmon jerky, of secrecy.' So, what does the future hold? Will growth threaten ginger almond and cashew granola, and baked jalapeno cheese Trader Joe's coolness and appeal for employees and customers crunchies. alike? C-3